Guest Author - Linda Sue Grimes

This article continues the “On the Issues” series, offering the 2008 Republican hopefuls’ positions on issues that confront Americans today. The following offers an overview of Congressman Ron Paul’s stance on the issues of Debt and Taxes, American Independence and Sovereignty, War and Foreign Policy, Social Security, Life and Liberty, and the Second Amendment:

Debt and Taxes
About federal spending, Paul says, “We need a new method to prioritize our spending. It’s called the Constitution of the United States.” According to Paul, “real conservatives” have always favored less taxation and less spending by the government. He claims that tax cuts help the single mother as well as the corporation, and the net result is an economy that grows.

Paul decries the nine-trillion-dollar National Debt, claiming that “our economy and our very independence as a nation are increasingly in the hands of foreign governments such as China and Saudi Arabia, because their central banks also finance our runaway spending.” About one quarter of the debt involves foreign nations, and the biggest holder is Japan.

American Independence and Sovereignty
Paul says, “So called free trade deals and world governmental organizations like the International Criminal Court (ICC), NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA are a threat to our independence as a nation. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites.”

He claims that the ICC wants to put our soldiers on trial as war criminals, and that the UN wants to tax American citizens. He also asserts that the WTO and CAFTA “could force Americans to get a doctor’s prescription to take herbs and vitamins,” and they also want to ban alternative medicine.

Paul also fears that our Constitution would be trampled if a North American Union were to erase the boundaries that separate Canada, the U. S., and Mexico.

War and Foreign Policy
While claiming that “we must not isolate ourselves,” Paul wants all U.S. troops brought home from around the globe: “We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing America and bring the troops home.”

About foreign aide, he says “Too often we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised. Too often we have supported those who turn on us.”

Social Security
Paul has introduced many pieces of legislation to solve the Social Security problem: Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (H.R. 191), to repeal taxes on Social Security benefits; Social Security Preservation Act (H.R. 219) to ensure that money taken from workers’ paychecks is used only for Social Security; Social Security for Americans Only Act (H.R. 190) to end “the drain on Social Security caused by illegal aliens seeking the fruits of your labor.”

Life and Liberty
As an obstetrician, Dr. Ron Paul has delivered over 4000 babies, and he is adamant about overturning Roe v Wade.

Second Amendment
Paul supports the right of citizens to own guns.

For more information about Ron Paul’s stance on the issues:
Issues